Leg rest mechanism for tilting seating units



F b 5 19 3 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE D 3 07 7 LEG REST MECHANISM FOR TILTING SEATING UNITS Original Filed June 8, 1956 I: 5- 6 INVENTOR.

Fridrjof F. Schliephocke.

"mm mz ATTORNEYS United States PatentOfiice 3,076,676 LEG REsT MECHANISM FOR TILTING SEATING UNITS Fridtjof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, Germany, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla. Original application June 8, 1956, Ser. No. 590,196.

Divided and this application Apr. 13, 1960,5er. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 291-88) articles providedwith a leg rest which occupies a re-f tracted or inoperative position when the seating elements are in a position to support the body in an upright sitting posture and which is advanced and raised so as to support the legs when the seating elements are moved to a reclining position. f

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 590,196, filed June 8, 1956, now abandoned.

In previous constructions involving a leg rest and linkage for raising it, the links and levers used have extended a considerable distance below the seat level,,frequently almost to the floor, and have necessitated the use of a stationary base closed in all the way to the floor so as to conceal the linkage. It is an object of the present invention to provide a leg rest operating linkage which is located as close' to the'seat level and as far above the floor as possible so as to enable the article of furniture to be built with an open base. This permits the article to present the appearance of an ordinary article of furniture supported upon legs and open underneath so as to provide a stylish and airy appearance. Other objects are to improve the construction and general efficiency of reclining articles of furniture of the type under consideration.

In general the objects of the invention are secured by mounting the leg rest on rigid arms pivoted on the side members of the seat near the front edge of the seat but spaced rearward therefrom a short distance and also spaced a short distance below the actual seating surface of the seat. The edge of the legrest nearest to the seat is spaced from the pivotal axis of the arms a sufiicient distance to permit the arms to swing into a substantially horizontal position, the leg rest clearing the front edge of the seat and projecting in a more or less horizontal position forwardly therefrom. A linkage is used which has its leg rest operating links connected to the leg rest supporting arms at points near the pivotal axisof the arms.

The linkage is kept as near to the seat level as possible so as to be concealed by the seat side members or by the stationary frame or base which is so designed as to terminate above the floor as high as possible, as already stated. In some of the forms of the invention a series of links and levers or guide plates are used lying closely along or within the side members of the seat and in some cases one or more guide levers or plates are fulcrumed on the seat itself.

In the accompanying drawings certain preferred embodiments of the invention are shown for purposes of illustration of the principles thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying one form of the invention, the chair being shown in reclining position. In this and subsequent figures parts of the chair frame are shown broken away for clearness of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown in FIG. 1 in upright sitting position.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views in side elevation showing another form of the invention in upright sitting and reclining positions respectively.

arms 40a.

, 3,076,676 Patented Feb. 5, 1 983 FIGS. 5 and 6 are side elevations showing another form of the invention in upright sitting and reclining positions respectively.

, Referring to the drawings in detail, the chair shown comprises a stationary frame or base which may be of any desired construction. As illustrated it comprises legs 20 connected by side frame members 22 and arms 24. The seating portions of the chair 26 comprise a back rest 28 andaseat 3ft. 1

Referring to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat is mounted on rear links Gtia'and front links 68, the front links being longer than the rear links so that when the chair is inclined, as shown in FIG. 1, the front of the seat will be raised. The rear links are pivoted to the seat at points 86, and are so shaped as to provide pivotv points 88 out of the line connecting the pivots 86 with the points where the links are pivoted to the chair frame. Thus when the seating unit is tilted backward, as shown in FIG. 1, the pivot points 38 are moved forward and upward.

The chair is provided with a leg rest 38 which is retracted to a pendant position as shown in FIG. 2 or is projected to a substantially horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1. The leg rest 38 is mounted on rigid arms 40 which are pivoted to the seat at '42, the pivots being located slightly below the seating surface and in the rear of the front edge of the seat. The arms are preferably curved in a direction concave to the plane of the leg rest between the pivot points and the placewhere the arms are connected to the leg rest. Thus when the leg rest is extended as in FIG. 1, the curve is convex downward or when-the leg rest is hanging down the curve may be described as convex toward the rear of the chair. The leg rest is actuated by means of linkage comprising thrust links 44 pivoted at 46 to the arms 40 and at their other ends pivoted at 48 to lever plates 91 which are pivoted to the chair seat at points 92. Lever plates 91 are pivoted at 94 to drive links 96 which at their other ends are pivoted to the pivot points 88 on links 66a. Thus when the seating unit is tilted back the movement of the plates 66a is transmitted through the linkage described to the arms 40 and swings the leg rest to the raised position.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another form of the invention in which the seating unit is mounted on the front links 63 and the rear links 66b. These are pivoted at 90a to the fixed frame side members of the chair. At points 86a these links are pivoted to the chair seat 30. The plates 66!) have third pivotal points 88a which are pivoted to drive links 96a. The latter are pivoted at points 98 to levers 108 which are pivoted to the chair seat at points 1ti2. The levers 100 are pivoted at points 104 to thrust links 44a which are pivoted to projections 106 on arms 40!) carrying the leg rest 38. When the seating unit is tilted backward as shown in FIG. 4 the leg rest is advanced by the described linkage.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another form of the invention somewhat similar to the forms shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. In this construction the seating unit is mounted on front links 68 and rear links 66c. The leg rest 38 is carried on arms 40a having extensions 64 extending beyond the pivot points of the leg rest carrying Pull links 108 connect the extensions 69 of the leg rest carrying arms to pivot points 11% on plates 112 pivoted to the chair seat at 114. The plates 112 have third pivot points 116 located at the third apex of 7 the triangle, the other two apices of which are the points unit is tilted backward as shown in FIG. 6 the leg rest is projected a in the other forms of the invention.

It is understood that certain parts, elements or mechanisms shown in a certain figure may be substituted for corresponding parts, elements, or mechanisms of the embodiments shown in otherfigures of the drawings.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion, and arrangements of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. A reclining article of furniture comprising a support, seating members comprising a seat and a back rest, forward seat supporting links pivoted to said support and pivoted at their upper ends to the forward part of the seat, rear seat supporting links pivoted to said support and pivoted to the rear part of the seat, said seat supporting link providing means for permitting movement of said seating elements from positions in which the occupant is supported in an upright sitting position to positions for supporting the occupant in a reclining position, arms pivoted to the seat near the front thereof, a leg rest carried by said arms, guide members pivoted to the seat, links connecting said seat pivoted guide members with said leg rest carrying arms, said rear seat supporting links having third pivot points thereon at one side of and removed from lines connecting the pivot points of said rear supporting links to the seat and stationary support respectively, and links connected to said third pivot points and to said guide members.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the guide members are pivoted between their ends to the seat, the links connected to the rear seat supporting links being pivoted to the guide members below the points at which the guide members are pivoted to the seat, the links pivoted to the leg rest carrying arms being pivoted to the upper ends of the guide members.

3. A reclining article of furniture comprising a stationary support, seating members comprising a seat and a back rest, forward seat supporting links pivoted to said support and pivoted at their upper ends to the forward part of the seat, rear seat supporting links pivoted to said support and pivoted to the rear part of the seat, said seat supporting links providing means for permitting movement of said seating elements from positions in which the occupant is supported in an upright sitting position to positions for supporting the occupant in a reclining position, a leg rest and linkage for supporting and advancing the same from a retracted to an advanced and raised position when the seating members are moved towards a reclining position, and means for actuating said leg rest supporting linkage comprising a guide member having three spaced pivotal points thereon, said guide member being pivoted at one of said pivotal points to an intermediate portion of the seat, a link pivoted to another of said pivotal points and to a portion of the leg rest actuating linkage, and a drive link pivoted to the third pivotal point of the guide member, and to a point on a rear seat supporting link spaced from the points at which said rear seat supporting link is pivoted to the seat and to the stationary support, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,672,919 Luckhardt Mar. 23, 1954 2,764,224 Maurer Sept. 25, 1956 2,850,078 Lorenz Sept. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 691,437 Germany May 27, 1940 164,064 Australia July 13, 1955 

1. A RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, SEATING MEMBERS COMPRISING A SEAT AND A BACK REST, FORWARD SEAT SUPPORTING LINKS PIVOTED TO SAID SUPPORT AND PIVOTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE SEAT, REAR SEAT SUPPORTING LINKS PIVOTED TO SAID SUPPORT AND PIVOTED TO THE REAR PART OF THE SEAT, SAID SEAT SUPPORTING LINKS PROVIDING MEANS FOR PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID SEATING ELEMENTS FROM POSITIONS IN WHICH THE OCCUPANT IS SUPPORTED IN AN UPRIGHT SITTING POSITION TO POSITIONS FOR SUPPORTING THE OCCUPANT IN A RECLINING POSITION, ARMS PIVOTED TO THE SEAT NEAR THE FRONT THEREOF, A LEG REST CARRIED BY SAID ARMS, GUIDE MEMBERS PIVOTED TO THE SEAT, LINKS CONNECTING SAID SEAT PIVOTED GUIDE MEMBERS WITH SAID LEG REST CARRYING ARMS, SAID REAR SEAT SUPPORTING LINKS HAVING THIRD PIVOT POINTS THEREON AT ONE SIDE OF AND REMOVED FROM LINES CONNECTING THE PIVOT POINTS OF SAID REAR SUPPORTING LINKS TO THE SEAT AND STATIONARY SUPPORT RESPECTIVELY, AND LINKS CONNECTED TO SAID THIRD PIVOT POINTS AND TO SAID GUIDE MEMBERS. 